By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, May 5: Iswardy Morni, an ex-candidate for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Petrajaya branch chairmanship, today described Baharuddin Mokhsen’s statement yesterday as “nothing more than crocodile tears with the intention to bad-mouth the party”.
Iswardy said the PKR Sarawak deputy chairman has until May (from February this year) to announce his loyalty and support the party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and to disown both former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and former PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin, who have since joined Bersatu, which is part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government.
“However, I am not the one making the decision. I have presented my case on why they should be fired but the party central decided to keep them in the party by merely suspending them. I guess, the party now can take more extreme measures in firing both of them for making such remarks.
“They (Baharuddin and his sister Nurhanim Mokhsen) could (still) appeal against the decision. However, I guess, they see an open window to tarnish the party’s image and choose that path of the road than begging for forgiveness,” Iswardy said in a statement issued here last night.
“Both of us have, in many occasions, do not see eye-to-eye in many matters including in choosing whom we voted and supported in the last party election. While I was still a staunch supporter for Rafizi Ramli and his camp, he (Baharuddin) was and I believed still is a staunch supporter for Azmin Ali. While, during the party election time, it was nothing wrong to choose side, it is however, wrong to choose to support Azmin and Zuraida in their betrayal.
“As we all know what happened to the country when Azmin and 10 other PKR MPs decided to betray the party and form a new coalition government alongside GPS, UMNO, PAS and Muhyiddin faction of Bersatu. Most of his loyal members were there to support him directly or implicitly and Hj Baharuddin and Nurhanim are no exception to this,” Iswardy pointed out.
He asserted that Baharuddin’s excuse of being a party supporter since 2002 and that “it is Azmin who chose to leave the party and not his” is not an excuse as there was evidence used by the party against him in making the decision to suspend Baharuddin and his sister.
“Maybe I could remind him on the night of Renaissance (Hotel) where Zuraida made a defamatory remark against the president, that later led to her and Azmin’s dismissal from the party. It is clear in countless pictures and videos on his and his sister Nurhanim and many others from Sarawak in supporting such an act.
“When loyalty demanded either supporting Azmin or president then, where did his loyalty lie?” he asked.
Iswardy also claimed that the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government was due largely to the defection of Azmin and the 10 MPs to join PN.
“The fall of the PH government happened on the 23rd February 2020 and on the 3rd of March 2020, Hj Baharuddin and Nurhanim were seen attending a meeting organised by non-other than Zuraida Kamaruddin,” added Iswandy.
He also claimed that both Baharuddin and his sister have continued to support Zuraida and her NGO.
“What about the page which directly connected Nurhanim to Zuraida Kamaruddin? The page called ‘Penggerak Komuniti Wilayah Sarawak’ where the profile pictures clearly show Nurhanim championing Zuraida’s NGO in Sarawak. Is that something very difficult to comprehend?
“In contrast, they even champion Zuraida NGO in Sarawak and feel proud of it. So, if I were to ask this question – should he and Nurhanim be suspended from the party, my answer is NO. They should not be suspended from the party, they should be fired from the party (instead),” added Iswardy.
When contacted, Baharuddin declined to comment as he is observing the holy month of Ramadhan and also due to the MCO.
Baharuddin and his sister, Sarawak PKR Wanita chief Nurhanim Mokhsen were among PKR leaders who have been suspended yesterday by the party’s central disciplinary board. Besides the two leaders, Sibu PKR chairman Abdul Raafidin Majidi has also received the same fate. —DayakDaily
